Correction and Apology

In a news story published by this newspaper on November 18th regarding delays in SUSI grant allocations, it was claimed that UCD Registry had extended the deadline for withdrawal from academic programmes, without fee implications, to November 27th. The University Observer has since learned that this is incorrect, and that the deadline extension of November 27th applied to access to student services by students who have not paid fees. The initial extension of the deadline for withdrawal from academic programmes without fee implications had in fact passed several weeks before the article was published.

The inaccuracy arose from an interview conducted by an Observer staff member with UCDSU Education Officer Amy Fox, which indicated that the November 27th deadline applied to withdrawal deadlines. Fox has said that she intended to say that the deadline referred to services access. The deadline had previously been referenced by Fox in a separate interview with the University Observer which said that the deadline referred to student services access, though it did not explicitly say that the deadline did not refer to withdrawal dates. The University Observer had not verified the story with UCD Registry before going to print.

The University Observer wants to apologise to any students affected. Students are encouraged to contact editor@universityobserver.ie with any issues.

Amy Fox has made a statement on the issue:

“Myself and Maeve De Say gave an interview on Friday evening to a staff member of the University Observer, in which we clearly outlined that the 27th of November deadline was in relation to access to student services and not withdrawal from academic programmes without implications.”

“The error arose when I gave a second interview to a member of the University Observer team on the same day where I failed to clarify the dates and their implications correctly, as I had done previously. I wish to apologise to any students affected by this incident.”